I wouldn't call "The Trip" highbrow in the slightest. It's witty, as you might expect with two of the funniest men in the history of the world in it -- Rob Brydon is #1, Coogan in the top ten -- but not "highbrow". They're not talking about Wittgenstein and Mahler the whole way through; more like Michael Caine. They feed deliciously off each other, delightfully mean-spirited.
It might help to realize that it was originally a short TV series, not a film, and was made into these two movies after the fact.
My only issue with Trip to Italy is that Coogan isn't so hilariously exasperated with Brydon. In the first film, there was a bit more comedic tension from Coogan's barely concealed loathing of Brydon and his often hammy schtick; here, they're more or less buddies who occasionally take the piss, but are basically palling around together.
Still good, but I slightly prefer the edgier first film.
Point taken, Fnarf, but I mean "highbrow" in the context of other bro-trip comedies like The Hangover—you know, visiting Pompeii instead of Vegas. And they are actually talking about Byron and Shelley all the way through, and in British accents, so does that count?
I know about the series, haven't watched the whole of either, have you? Worthwhile?
I thought Trip to Italy was a turd of a movie. Coogan's best impression was of a man filled with self-loathing for getting coaxed into such a lame project. Fake melodrama, fake food and fake wit. Some precocious youth age well, unfortunately these two didn't.
It might help to realize that it was originally a short TV series, not a film, and was made into these two movies after the fact.
Still good, but I slightly prefer the edgier first film.
I know about the series, haven't watched the whole of either, have you? Worthwhile?